Martin Heydon, T.D, Minister of State with responsibility for Farm Safety at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, last week announced the provision of funding to Teagasc for the procurement of 18 farm machinery simulators for use in agricultural colleges.
Making the announcement Minister Heydon said: “My priority is the health, safety and wellbeing of our farmers, and this investment of over €1.25 million in 18 agricultural machinery simulators represents a significant step up in the efforts of my Department and Teagasc to improve the safety record around farm machinery and tractors. They will be ready and in use in all the agricultural colleges in the coming academic year.”
Farming has a poor safety record, accounting for approximately 42% of fatal workplace incidents in the period 2011 – 2020, yet only 6% of the working population is employed in the sector. Over half of fatal farm incidents are associated with tractors, farm vehicles and machinery. Teagasc National Farm Survey data indicates that about 700 farm vehicle and machinery incidents take place annually.
Driver operation has been identified both internationally and in Ireland as one of the major causes of incidents involving tractors and machinery. Thus, provision of enhanced training on agricultural machinery is an essential tool to improve the safety record of the agriculture sector in Ireland.
Minister Heydon added: “These simulators will be a great asset in teaching students the key safety elements of operating farm machinery. These include tractors with different implements such as balers, mowers and tedders, and also forage harvesters, combines, and telescopic handlers, covering all the common machinery operations carried out on farms. I am confident that this investment in safety around machinery will yield dividends long into the future.”